This Christmas
by Destiny Lockheart
Summary: FF:TSW A Christmas fic in which General is plotting something, and Neil's niece comes to visit him for a few days. JanexNeil **FINI**
1. Her Arrival

Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own the Deep Eyes or anything pertaining to Final Fantasy. They all belong to the wonderful Squaresoft. I only use them for my non-profitable but evil purposes. 

_This Christmas_

_by Destiny Lockheart_

Chapter one - Her Arrival

The artificial snow fell lightly through New New York, several days before Christmas. Captain Gray and Sergeant Ryan had been at the Deep Eyes supply depot, making sure everything was in order before taking their annual Holiday break. "So, how does it feel, sergeant?" Gray asked as Ryan tightly closed the door and locked it. "Five days without traveling into a phantom invested wasteland?" 

Ryan chuckled. "Feels great, captain. Got anything special planned for the holidays?" They began to walk away and back towards where the Deep Eyes were currently living. 

"Not really," Gray admitted. Ever since Aki had left without a word, he had spent most holidays alone. "Though I hear General Hein might be organizing a Christmas party for all military personal so I may be attending that." Gray stopped walking. "How would you like to make a little wager with me, sergeant?"

Ryan paused and turned to face the captain. "A wager? I thought you weren't supposed to encourage that kind of behavior."

Gray laughed. "Let's just say I'm getting into the Christmas spirit." He looked Ryan squarely in the eyes. "So, are you going to take my bet or not?"

"It depends," Ryan replied as the continued walking, wondering what the captain had in mind. "What were you planning on?"

Gray laughed again. "Let's just say it involves the Christmas party, our two corporals and some mistletoe."

Ryan stopped, shocked. The captain couldn't possibly be thinking on betting of the possibility of..."Oh please, tell me you're not thinking of what I think you are."

Gray turned to face Ryan. "That's right. I'm betting you that Neil will be able to get Jane under the mistletoe at the Christmas party."

"You can't be serious. There's no way you'll be able to win that bet." Gray just smiled and nodded. "It's a deal," Ryan said extending his hand. Gray took it and they shook.

&-&-&-&

Jane breathed a sigh of relief as she walked down the hallway to her apartment. She had successfully avoided Neil on the first day of their vacation. Neil had a habit of becoming extremely annoying when they didn't have to hunt down phantoms. She pulled out her key as she reached the door. So far, so good. All she had to do was get inside, then she wouldn't have to worry about Neil again until tomorrow. "Hey, Jane, wait a moment!" she heard him call down the hallway. She rolled her eyes and went inside, slamming the door shut behind her, hoping to keep him out. No such luck. He managed to get his hand in the doorframe in time to keep it from shutting. "Oww, I said hold on," he said, coming inside and shaking his injured hand. 

"Really? I didn't hear you," she said sarcastically, shutting the door behind him.

"Hey, no need to get snippy with me," he replied, sitting down on her couch. Obviously, he was not planning on leaving anytime soon. "By the way, babe, have I told you how great you look tonight?"

Jane knew Neil well enough by now to know when he was up to something and when he used that tone of voice, he was _definitely_ up to something. "Okay, Neil, what do you want?"

"Right, I'm not going to lie to you," he said, leaning forward. "I need you to do me a favor."

That worried her. The last time he asked her to do him a favor, she had to deck him because of what he had in mind. She hoped for her fist's sake he didn't have the same idea. She had other things she needed her hand for other than punching Neil every time he got out of line. "It better not be what you wanted me to do last time," she warned. 

"Oh, no." He still remembered the bruise she had given him when he suggested _that._ It was not an experience he wanted to relive. "It's nothing like that at all." 

She pulled a chair out from the table and sat down. "Well, what is it?"

"It's like this," he said, clasping his hands together. Jane decided she could do him the favor of pretending to listen to him, then she wouldn't have to help him out later. "Somehow, my older brother found out I'm on vacation for the next couple of days." Jane smiled. This could get interesting. "He and his wife are going on 'a second honeymoon,'" Neil didn't bother hiding the disgust in his voice, "and he wants me to watch, I quote, 'my little ball of energy while I'm away.'" He rolled his eyes. 

"So," Jane replied leaning back in her chair. "Why don't you just call your brother and tell him you can't do it?"

"I can't!" Neil protested so vehemently she jumped. "They've already left and Cassie will be arriving in New York in thirty minutes."

"Seems like you're out of luck," Jane told him matter of factly. 

"You gotta help me, Jane," he pleaded. 

"Do what?" she asked, sitting up straight. "She's going to have to stay with you. There's no getting around it."

"I know, but I need you to help me take care of her while she's here. I don't know the first thing about taking care of kids," he admitted. 

"And you think I do?"

"Well, I figured between the two of us, we'd be able to figure it out," he said, looking at anything in the room except her. It wouldn't take Jane very long to figure out what he was hinting at.

"How is that happening? You leave three hallways away from me," _'thank god for that,' _she added mentally, "so unless I move in with you..." Realization dawned on her. "Oh no, I'm not doing that." 

"Come on, Jane. It's only for five days, and I'm sure you'll love Cassie."

"Neil-" she started to protest. 

"You and Cassie can share my room and I'll sleep on the couch. Please, Jane, at least come and get her with me." He gave her his best puppy eyes. "If you don't fall in love with her by the time we get back here, then you don't have to do it. I promise."

"I-" She looked around her small apartment, trying to come up with any excuse possible to get her out of this. The truth was, there was none. "Alright, but you'd better hope that she's darn adorable."

"Thank you," he said, grinning at her and leading the way out the door. 

Jane wondered what could possibly be wrong with her as she followed him out of her apartment and turned out the lights.

&-&-&-&

Major Elliot cleared his throat nervously as he waited in General Hein's office, occasionally looking at the girl next to him. She claimed to be Corporal Neil Fleming's niece, but Elliot couldn't see much of a resemblance. Then again, he never really paid that much attention to the Deep Eyes appearance. The girl had long red hair and steel-blue eyes that sparkled. How anyone's eyes could shine like that - even during Christmas - with the war going on was beyond him. May be it had something to do with the fact she was so young. Major Elliot envied the young's hope sometimes. 

General Hein turned his chair around then. "I understand that you wanted to talk to me, major."

"Yes, sir. This girl," he began, indicating the girl standing next to him, "claims to be related to Neil Fleming of the Deep Eyes and says that she is to be staying with him for the next couple of days."

"Thank you, Major," Hein said absent-mindly, waving his hand. "You're dismissed."

"But, sir," Elliot protested, looking nervously at the girl. 

"That's an order," Hein said placing his hands on the desk and standing up. "Now leave." He looked at Cassie. "I'll make sure she gets where she needs to go." 

"Yes, sir." Major Elliot made a hasty retreat out of the room.

Cassie smiled as she watched him leave. "Bye, major," she called after him cheerfully. General Hein stepped out from behind his desk and knelt down in front of her. "Hello, sir," she whispered softly.

"Hello, sweetie," he said as gently as he could. After all, he had a little girl of his own once and he knew how easily frightened they could be. "Mind telling me your name?"

"Cassie Fleming, sir."

"And you're here to stay with your Uncle Neil of the Deep Eyes?"

"Yes, sir," she replied meekly. 

"Well, then," he said, standing up and taking her hand, "why don't I take you to see him."

"Thank you, sir," she managed to say as General Hein lead her out of his office. 

&-&-&-&

"You couldn't have let me grab a jacket, could you?" Jane scolded as she walked next to Neil down the sidewalk. 

"Hey, no one told you to wear a tank top in the middle of winter," he told her with a grin. "I know a way to get you warmed up," he added, throwing an arm around her shoulders. 

She took one disapproving look at his arm then proceeded to punch Neil in the stomach. As he doubled over in pain, she continued walking. "Come on, Neil. Your niece will be arriving in New York any minute now."

Neil groaned in pain but stood up and followed her. It wasn't long before he caught sight of General Hein heading their way. "Whoa," he said, grabbing Jane's arm, "the General of all things evil is heading this way."

&-&-&-&

"Stay behind me till I say otherwise," Hein muttered to Cassie as they approached the two corporals. Much to his amusement, she obliged. Did this mean she'd do the other things he asked? "Ah, Neil Fleming. Just the soldier I wanted to see."

"Really, sir?" Neil yelped, trying his best to hide behind Jane. The general's cold glare always had taht kind of effect on him. 

"Something of yours arrived at my office this evening." He gave a small grin as he tapped Cassie on thhe shoulder to signal her to come out.

"Uncle Neil!" Cassie called, coming out from behind General Hein and throwing her arms around Neil.

"Hey, Cassie!" Neil replied, picking her up and returning her hug.

General Hein smiled, thinking of how great it would be to see his daughter again. "Merry Christmas, you three." He nodded and turned to walk back towards his office. After all, he had a Christmas party to plan and money to win.

"Merry Christmas, sir," Jane called after him.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas, General Hein," Neil added. The general waved his hand in acknoledgement and Neil turned his attention back to Cassie. "Didn't you get here a bit early?"

"Not really," she told him with a grin. "Who's that?" she asked innocently, looking at Jane.

"That's Jane," he glanced over at her, then back at Cassie, "my friend."

"Hi, Aunt Jane," Cassie called, letting go of Neil with one hand to wave. 

Jane wondered if she should possibly be worried about that but shrugged it off on account that Cassie was so young. "So, are you ready to go back to my apartment?" Neil asked Cassie. 

"Yeah. It's cold out here." She snuggled closer to Neil. "Isn't Aunt Jane cold?" she asked, looking in Jane's general direction. 

"Very," she admitted as they began walking back to the apartment building.

"Snuggle up to Uncle Neil," Cassie recommended. "He's nice and warm."

Jane looked at nEil and laughed. "I'm not that cold, honey."

&-&-&-&

Gray meet Ryan outside the military apartment building. "This is just great," Gray said. "Neither Jane or Neil are in their apartments."

"That's because they're over there," Ryan said, pointing down the road. Neil could be seen carrying Cassie with Jane walking on the side to make sure he didn't drop her. 

Gray followed the direction of Ryan's finger. "I wonder who the little girl is," he muttered. 

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Ryan answered as the trio approached them.

"Hey, Serge, Captain," Neil greeted them, placing Cassie on the ground. 

"Hello," Cassie shyly said to the two officers. 

"Oh yeah," Neil said. "Captain Gray, Sergeant, this is my niece, Cassie. She's going to be staying with me for the next couple of days."

"How come I wasn't informed of this earlier," Gray asked.

"Sorry, sir," Neil said sheepishly, "but I just opened the letter from my brother today."

Gray rolled his eyes and Jane resisted the urge to strangle Neil. Neil's habit of not opening his mail till weeks after he received it was going to get him trouble one of these days. "I was just going to inform you two about," Gray stopped, a plan forming in his mind. "Never mind, I'll tell you later."

"Come on, Uncle Neil, Aunt Jane," Cassie said, pulling on their shirts. "I'm tired and I'm freezing."

"All right, we're going inside now," Neil said, picking her back up and taking her inside. 

Jane went to follow them but Gray stopped her. "Aunt Jane?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

"Captain, she'd just a little girl." She shrugged. "She doesn't know any better."

"Still, don't let that idea get into Neil's head or a little Neil Jr. will be calling you mommy one day." Ryan laughed.

"Captain, don't even joke about that!" she protested as she went inside. 

"Hey, Aunt Jane, where are you going?" Cassie asked as Neil unlocked his apartment and Jane continued on to hers. "Don't you like us anymore?"

Jane looked pleadingly at Neil who made a point of looking at the ceiling. It seemed like there wasn't any way of getting out of this without sending Cassie into billions of tears. "I'm staying a bit longer," she said. "I just thought Uncle Neil's apartment was in the next hallway," she lied.

Cassie smiled as Neil put her down and showed her inside. "Get me out of this," Jane muttered as Neil held the door open for her. 

"I'll think of something," he told her, closing the door. 

"Cassie, where's your stuff?" Jane asked her.

"General Hein told me he'd send it up her tomorrow." She yawned and opened the door to Neil's bedroom. "Can you two tell me a bedtime story?" 

Jane looked over at Neil. "Sure," she said with a shrug. After all, what was the worst that could happen. 

Cassie climbed onto Neil's bed and Jane and Neil sat on either side of her. After they were both seated, she climbed into Jane's lap. "Tell me a story about lions," she mumbled as she closed her eyes. 

So, they took turns in telling her the story of Kimba: The White Lion. By the time the story was over, CAssie ws sound asleep. Jane tried to move her so she could stand up and hopefully leave. "Don't do taht," Neil told her. "You'll wake her up."

"what do you want me to do?" she whispered. "Stay like this all night?"

"That's not a bad idea." Jane sighed. "Don't worry, you can lay down; just don't move her too much." Jane took his suggestion. Thankfully, Cassie stayed asleep and Neil covered both of them with the blanket. "I'll see you two ladies in the morning," he said, kissing Cassie on the forehead. "You want one too?" he asked, grinning at Jane. She did her best to smack him but he was too far away. "I'll take that as a no. Night." He turned and went to leave the room. In the doorway he stopped and turned around. "You know, Jane, you're a natural with kids," he told her.

AN: And so ends chapter one of this story. What do you think? 


	2. The Plot Thickens

This Christmas

Chapter 2- The Plot Thickens

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of them. Well, except for Cassie 'cause I made her up, but that's about it.

Warnings: There really aren't any, just Neil is having a really bad day in this fic. Oh, and Jane and Cassie gain up on Neil in a snowball fight but that's about it. And the rating has been taken up a notch because, (come on!) Jane woke up to find herself in Neil's bed. I just couldn't resist to throw one or two things in there. Plus with how Jane treats Neil on a normal basis is worthy of a PG rating (at the very least).

Late last night, General Hein had required a meeting with Captain Gray for five-thirty this morning. So now, Gray was standing all alone just inside the military office building, waiting for the general to show up. The building seemed empty without numerous amounts of people rushing around, trying to not get caught slacking in front of Hein. Gray resisted the urge to yawn. After all, this was his Christmas break and he really didn't want to be up this early when any sane person would still be sound asleep in their nice warm bed. Ah, bed. Such a comforting thought with the warm blankets.. The sound of the General's footsteps snapped him back into reality. "Good morning, General," Gray greeted him, noticing his breath froze when he spoke. Why couldn't the general have waited until it was a little bit warmer before having this meeting?

"Good morning, captain," Hein replied, nodding his head once. "It certainly is cold out here, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Gray agreed, all the while shivering. If the general knew it was so cold out, why did he have to have this meeting now?

"Well, then why don't we go for a walk to get ourselves warmed up?" Hein suggested, indicating the way with his arm. They started walking down the streets of New York. No one else was up yet. "Captain, did you manage to place my bet with Sergeant Whittaker?"

Gray hesitated in answering. Even he was afraid of General Hein sometimes. "Yes, sir, however, he thinks the bet is with me."

General Hein could somehow sense Gray's nervousness. "That's fine captain, just so long as it was made." General Hein laughed. "You were the only to turn down my offer."

That didn't surprise Gray. Sometimes he wondered why he didn't take the bet, it was almost a sure win. But this was general Hein; he must have had some type of plan if he was willing to wager all that money. "Sir," Gray said after a few moments of silence between them, "you're not really planning on taking the money from all those soldiers, are you?"

Hein stopped walking and turned to face Gray. "No, Captain Edwards, I'm merely trying to teach all those fools a lesson." Gray was confused now. "They're all willing to bet so much on something they feel will always be the same. It's almost the same thing as betting their families' lives on the fact that the barrier will always be there." Hein stared coldly at Gray. "Many of these soldiers are getting too cocky for their own good." 

Gray nodded in understanding. "So, you're going to show them that something unexpected, such as Neil and Jane kissing, is quite possible and they shouldn't think that it's not. But, sir, exactly how are you going to get that to happen?"

"I believe you met a girl yesterday named Cassie Fleming. She'll be a major player in this game."

"Sir, isn't that a little," Gray paused, searching for the right word, "cruel to use the girl like that?"

"Not at all, captain. She seemed quite eager to help me out yesterday. By the way, tell her uncle to bring her down to my office for lunch around one o'clock. I have to talk to her some more."

"Yes, sir." Gray saluted and left.

&-&-&-&

Military protocol absolutely demanded that Jane got up at six o'clock, even if she was on vacation. The facts that she was in a strange room, there was an unfamiliar weight next to her and Neil was the last person she saw last night all came together at once, and made her stop and think for a moment. She wouldn't of...? Nah, only in his dreams and her worst nightmares. That's when it came back to her. Neil's niece had come to visit and she had stayed at his apartment with her. She looked to her side and, sure enough, there was Cassie, still sound asleep. "So this isn't some crazy nightmare," she muttered softly. 

She wondered how long it would be until Cassie woke up. Since there was nothing better to do, Jane spent the time looking around the room. For the most part, it was exactly like hers; completely dull and boring. "Doesn't he have anything interesting in here," she said exasperated. That was when she caught sight of the nightstand with the top drawer slightly open. '_This could prove to be quite interesting. But then again, I really shouldn't go through his personal stuff. Who knows what sort of grimmy things I'll find in there._ Curiosity eventually got the better of her. _Who cares? He'd do the same to me given the opportunity. _Fromangle she was, she could just barely see into the drawer. It would have to do. She opened the drawer a bit farther and began to sort through the top layer of items. A lot of it was newspaper clippings, mainly about the Deep Eyes, and there were a few photos. There was one picture that caught her attention, and she really couldn't see it that well, so she brought it out for closer inspection.

The sound of the doorknob turning caused her to quickly shove the drawer back in and thrust the picture behind her back. None other then Neil walked into the room, minus his shirt. He looked surprised to see Jane there. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied innocently, making sure the picture was safely hidden.

"You know, if I were in that bed with you," he began, walking over to his dresser. 

"Never happening," she replied, watching him. "You'd better hope Cassie doesn't wake up."

"Why?"

"Because if she sees you like that the poor girl will have nightmares for the rest of her life. It's bad enough that I have to suffer."

"Very funny," he replied, rummaging through his drawers. 

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him suddenly. 

The tone of her voice made Neil jump. "Gettin' clean clothes," he said, grabbing a clean uniform and closing the drawers. 

"That's not fair," she protested. "I have to walk all the way back to my apartment before I can change."

He shrugged. "Borrow some of mine; that way you'll have a clean uniform to wear until you get back to your apartment," he suggested jokingly. 

A loud yawn prevented any further talk as Cassie woke up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Where am I?" she asked, blinking as she looked around the room. She caught sight of Neil and went running towards him to give him a hug. "Morning, Uncle Neil, Aunt Jane!" she told them quite cheerfully. 

"How can you be so cheerful first thing in the morning," Jane muttered, grateful for the chance to sit up. 

"What's wrong with her?" Cassie asked, giving Neil her full attention. 

"She's not much of a morning person," Neil told her. "Or an anytime person when it comes to me," he added under his breath. 

They left the room together, leaving Jane alone. She took another long look at the picture, then glanced over at Neil's dresser. He owed her big time. 

&-&-&-&

Cassie was sitting on the couch listening to Christmas carols when Jane come out of Jane's bedroom wearing one of his older uniforms. At least it was clean. "Hey, Cass, where's your Uncle?"

"Getting dressed," Cassie replied, indicating the bathroom. "When he's done, he's going to make breakfast."

Jane gulped. Was that really such a good idea? "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said, scurrying out the door. 

"See ya," she called absent-mindedly as she began humming to the song.

Jane walked nervously down the hall, hoping she wouldn't run into Gray or Ryan who would instantly recognize that the uniform wasn't hers. And it wouldn't take either of them much to figure out who's it was. She caught sight of Gray walking towards her and groaned. It was not turning out to be a very good vacation. She tried walking past him, but he stopped her. "Jane, aren't you up awfully early?" he asked, wondering why anyone who was on break would be up at this time. "And more importantly," he added once he noticed what she was wearing, "why are you wearing Neil's uniform?" Jane started to answer him but Gray stopped her. "Never mind. I'm not really sure I want to know. Are you going back to Neil's anytime soon?"

If it was anyone else, Jane would have refused to answer that question, but, since he was her captain, she really didn't have much choice in the matter. "Yes, sir. Just as soon as I get changed."

"Good," Gray told her, yawning. "Then you can tell him that General Hein wants to have lunch with niece at one." He involuntarily shivered. "I'm going back to my nice warm bed," he muttered as he walked away. Jane watched him for a moment before hurrying on to her own apartment. 

&-&-&-&

Neil looked around his apartment for a few minutes, confused, then went back to making breakfast. "Cassie, where's your aunt?" He waited a few seconds. "Obviously not within hearing distance if I just said that statement aloud and I'm still alive." 

"She said she'd be right back," Cassie told him, walking over and taking a look at breakfast. She wrinkled her nose. "It smells funny."

"That's because Neil made it," Jane said as she walked in the room, causing both Neil and Cassie to jump. She threw several bags down on Neil's couch. "Cassie, here's your stuff. Oh, and Neil," she said tossing him a bundle which hit him in the back of the head, "thanks."

He rubbed the back of his head and picked up what she threw at him, only to discover it was one of his old uniforms. "You didn't," he said nervously. "You do realize I was only joking when I said that, right? If this even came close to fitting you, I'm gonna have to shoot myself to spare me the embarrassment." 

"Mind if I supply the gun?" she asked maliciously. "And should you really be talking like that around your niece?" she said, pointing to Cassie.

Cassie had been sorting through her stuff, ignoring the two adults until she heard her name. "Huh? What?" she asked looking around the room. 

"General Hein wants to have lunch with you at one o'clock," Jane told her, sitting down on the couch. For a brief second, she wondered why General Hein had taken such an interest in the girl. Quickly as the question had come to mind, it was gone.

"General Hein wants to see me again?" Cassie asked incredulously, all the while smiling. She had had fun talking with him last night; she learned many interesting facts about her uncle and "aunt" Jane.

"Yep, so don't stuff yourself on Neil's breakfast. Though I wouldn't recommend it anyway," she said, casting a sly glance his way. 

&-&-&-&

Twelve-thirty came around quickly. Cassie stood at Neil's apartment door, all bundled up in jacket, gloves, scarf, and hat. "Uncle Neil, Aunt Jane, hurry up," she called to them impatiently.

"We're coming," Neil answered for them both as they stood up. Jane wasn't very happy about him answering for both of them. She also wasn't very happy that she had to go outside in the cold to take Cassie to General Hein's office when she could have just as easily stayed inside where it was warm. 

_Yeah right, _she thought. _Just as easy as it was to go back to your own apartment last night. _She shivered as they stepped outside into the cold air. Despite her warm jacket, she was freezing. For once, she hoped Neil would be his usual flirtatious self and try to keep her warm. She regretted the thought the instant it came. Of course, it wasn't very likely he would; the punch she had given him last night would keep him from trying that trick again for a very long time. 

&-&-&-&

Neil looked nervously over at Jane as they stopped outside General Hein's office. She was mad at something, which scared him to begin with, but what made it worse was he didn't know what she was mad at. He thought he was innocent "Do you want to knock?"

She shook her head. "It's your niece. I shouldn't even be here."

"Yeah, but your father was a general," Neil countered. He did not want to face the General, for reasons he was not willing to share."

"But your father is his -"

"I'll knock," Cassie interrupted her. "After all, I'm the one who's having the meeting." She reached up and knocked lightly on the door.

General Hein opened the door a few inches. Upon reorganization, he opened the door all the way, his cold eyes studying them. _Does the man never smile? _Neil thought as he peered inside the room. He was quite shocked; General Hein must have had a full feast prepared. 

He glanced over at Jane to see what her reaction had been. Jane had smartly saluted the general when he opened the door. Realizing his mistake, Neil followed suit. "At ease, soldiers," General Hein told them, placing a hand on Cassie's shoulder and ushering her inside. Jane visibly relaxed, but Neil was still edgy. "I'll take good care of her." He smirked. "Come back within an hour to get her." He paused for effect. "You are dismissed," he told them with a wave of his hand. He then shut his door.

Neil didn't relax until they were far away General Hein's office. "Hey, Jane," he said as they walked along, "since you've been a doll and helped me out with Cassie, how 'bout I take you out to lunch?" 

"Are you paying?" she asked suspiciously. 

"I wasn't planning on it, but you got it, babe." 

"Don't call me that," she scolded as they went off in search of the nearest place to get some food. 

&-&-&-&

General Hein waited patiently while Cassie stuffed herself full with the food he had ordered, all the while going through what he was going to talk to her about. He decided on telling her everything that she would understand. After all, what was the point of telling her something she wouldn't comprehend? He would start with general conversation, then move on to the important stuff. Only after she leaned back in her chair did he begin talking. "So, how do you like visiting your uncle?" he asked as the conversation starter. 

"It's fun," she told him, then smiled. "Watching him and his special friend is lots of fun."

The general managed a small smile. "Did you call his special friend what I told you to?" Cassie nodded. "How did she react?"

She appeared thoughtful for a moment. "I think she liked," she said after a while. "In fact, I was stilling calling her that this morning, and Uncle Neil even called her that."

General Hein smirked. This was getting to be quite interesting. "Cassie, did you see a small Christmas tree anywhere in your Uncle's apartment?"

"I think I did," she said thoughtfully. 

General Hein brought a package out of a drawer in his desk and handed to her. The tag read "To: Jane, From: Neil." She eyed the present carefully, and looked at General Hein expectantly. "That's Neil's, ah, special present for Jane. Make sure she opens it before the party tomorrow night."

Cassie nodded. "Sir, if this is Uncle Neil's present for Jane, why do you have it?" 

The general had been anticipating that question. "Let's say Jane said something to Neil about wanting that particular item. Since he didn't have enough money to buy it for her, he put a word in with his father. His father 'accidentally' slipped this information to me over a few drinks. I did some research about the two people in question and discovered with luck I could use them to teach some of the other soldiers a very valuable lesson. So, I took the liberty of buying that," he pointed to the gift, "for him to get for her. Did you understand any of that?"

"All went right over my head, sir." General Hein sighed in defeat. This girl was his best chance of making his plan work, and she didn't even understand what was going on. "But," she added quickly, "I'll be glad to help you out, but only if it will make my Uncle Neil happy."

"Trust me," the general grinned, "it will make your uncle very happy indeed." 

"So, what do I do?" Cassie asked innocently. 

"Not much for right now. You'll get more specific orders tomorrow at the party. All I need to do for now is make sure your 'aunt' gets this gift that before the party." General Hein checked his watch. "They should be arriving here any minute now," he said, standing up and leading her to the door. "One more thing, make sure those two spend a lot of quality time together."

Quality time together? She could do that. After all, she was a lot smarter then people took her for and most excellent at playing dumb. 

&-&-&-&

Neil took another long look at the check on the table as he reached into his pocket for money. "Did'ya have to order the most expensive thing on the menu?" 

Jane just smiled sweetly at him. "You owe me big time for what I'm doing for you, Neil. You might as well start making up for it now."

Neil simply rolled his eyes as he pulled even more change out of his pocket. 

While Neil pulled every single last penny out of his pockets, Jane thought back on the past hour. _Spending time with Neil wasn't so bad, was it? _ a little nagging voice in her head asked. She had to admit, it really hadn't been that bad. Well, except for when the waitress asked them if they were on their first date. 

The waitress came back and took the money. "I hope you're happy," Neil mumbled to Jane, "because I'm completely broke now."

Jane tapped her watch. "General Hein's going to make you completely broke physically if you don't get to his office soon."

Neil glanced up at the clock. "Aw, man, no!" He picked up his coat and walked as quickly as he could out the door without drawing too much attention to himself. Jane took her time, making sure to leave money for a tip.

&-&-&-&

General Hein had taken the liberty of walking Cassie down to the street when they weren't waiting for her outside his office, only to find they were not in the street either. He was starting to get very angry. It was really cold out, and it wasn't like he could leave the girl to fend for herself. "Where is your uncle?" he muttered under his breath.

"Here he comes," Cassie said, pointing down the street where Neil could be plainly seen running towards them. Remembering about the gift, she placed it in her inside coat pocket. 

"Where were you, Corporal?" General Hein asked as Neil approached them, out of breath. His voice was as chilling as the air. "And where's your wife?"

That question took Neil by surprise. "My-y-y wife, s-sir?" he gasped. 

"Yes, this little girl," he placed a hand on Cassie's shoulder, "has been telling me all about her aunt Jane. Surely she's your wife?"

"No, sir, never been married." 

"Neil, Cassie," Jane called as she jogged towards them. She saluted General Hein. "Good afternoon, sir."

"Good afternoon, soldier. What's the rush?"

"Cassie's dad called and said it was urgent that he talked to Neil and his daughter right away." 

"Well, if the girl's father wishes to speak with her then what kind of person would I be to keep them here." The general stared directly at Neil. "You were lucky this time, soldier. Goodbye, Cassie. It was a lovely noon."

"Thank you, sir." She bowed. "I'm glad you enjoyed my company," she said as he walked away. Not for the first time, General Hein wondered where she got to be so smart. Some type of special school? Not likely.

&-&-&-&

"Thank you," Neil told Jane, moving to give her a hug. "You saved me."

She nimbly moved away from his arms before he could fully hug her. "I didn't come here to save you. I just wanted to see you squirm when I told you the captain wants to talk to you."

&-&-&-&

They arrived outside the captain's apartment within twenty minutes. The whole way there, Jane had been smirking at Neil because he was about to get a lecture and she wasn't. Neil tried to ignore her snide remarks, but it wasn't easy. Now the three of them stood anxiously outside, waiting for Gray to open the door. He did, slowly. They peered inside to see Ryan sitting on the couch, looking quite ill. "Just the three I wanted to see. Jane, Neil, sit," he told them, indicating his couch. "Sergeant, take Cassie back to Neil's apartment." Ryan nodded. 

"I wish you two the best of luck," he told them as he grabbed Cassie's hand and began walking towards to Neil's place. 

Jane and Neil sat down on Gray's couch and he sat across from them on a recliner. "Listen," he began, "I was going to see if I could put this lecture off for a bit longer, but after I saw Jane this morning in Neil's uniform, I fear it may already be too late." Neil and Jane looked nervously at each other and gulped. 

&-&-&-&

"Serge, you're the best," Cassie proclaimed, jumping in his lap. 

Ryan laughed. "I'm glad you think so."

The door opened and Jane and Neil moved sluggishly through it, both plopping down on the couch. "That was disgusting," Neil said, leaning back and covering his eyes. Jane mumbled her agreement. 

"Hey, you two just agreed on something!" Cassie proclaimed happily. Ryan and Neil laughed; Jane rolled her eyes. 

"I feel bad for you guys," Ryan told them. "The captain practiced some of his lecture on me." There was an awkward silence. "Jane, why were you wearing Neil's uniform?"

"Long story, I'll tell you some other time, Serge." 

Ryan dropped the subject, considering he wanted to get back to his own apartment. "Right, I'll see you three tomorrow at the party," he said, depositing Cassie on the couch beside Neil. He walked slowly out the door, wondering perhaps if he should retract his bet with the captain. Nah, it had to be a strange fluke that they were actually getting along. 

&-&-&-&

"So, what are we going to do now?" Neil asked Cassie.

"Serge and I were listening to the radio and they said there was lots of snow down at the park."

Neil thought that going to a place where there was a lot of snow with Jane around was not a good idea. However, Cassie had ideas of her own and proved to be the more stubborn of the two. So, thirty minutes later, Jane and Neil were watching Cassie play in the 'snow.' "Why must we have stimulated weather?" Neil mumbled as the wind kept blowing snow into his face. 

Jane smiled. "It's supposed to remind us of what the earth was like before barrier cities," she told. She watched intently as Cassie made a snowball, making note that Neil was completely oblivious to it. She grabbed his arm. "Look over there." She pointed in the opposite direction of the girl.

"What?" he asked nervously, turning to see what she was pointing to. Three seconds later, Cassie's snowball came in contact with Neil's side. "Oww! You're going to pay for that," he said jokingly as he reached down for a snowball of his own. 

Jane watched their snowball fight for a few minutes with great interest, wondering whether or not she should join them. The chance to hit Neil with something as cold as a snowball was to great to pass up. So, she made a fairly decent sized snowball and waited. The opportunity came when a stray dog ran between the fighters, causing them both to pause momentarily. It was long enough for her to make her move. She threw her snowball and grinned when it came in contact with the back of Neil's neck. "Hey!" he protested, turning around to face her. Which left a perfect opportunity for Cassie to launch her missile, which also found its target. Neil looked nervously between the two girls. "It isn't fair if you two gain up on me."

"According to who?" Jane asked. It was then she realized Neil was standing with his back to a particularly large snow drift. "Don't move," she said, taking a step towards him. "I know you come in peace." 

He watched carefully as she walked closed, anticipating at any moment for her to pick up another snowball and lob it at him. But now, she was standing right in front of him, and she hadn't pulled any dirty tricks. Until she pushed him over into a snow drift. For a moment, he was utterly confused as to what happened. As she tried to walk away, he somehow managed to trip her, causing her to land unceremoniously in the snow next to him. "Glad you could join me," he said, picking up snow and dropping it on her. 

"Neil," Jane threatened, pinning his arms to the ground.

"Be gentle," he begged, looking around for an escape route. Meanwhile, Cassie just stood there watching with a knowing smile on her face. 

&-&-&-&

Jane actually didn't hurt Neil, she just made sure some of that cold, white powdery stuff had started to sift through his clothes. Three hours later, they were back at his apartment, trying to get warmed up. They had all been smart and changed into dry clothes. Jane sat on the couch with Cassie next to her. Cassie was busy flipping through the channels on Neil's TV. Neil was getting them all something, preferably hot, to drink. The rest of the night went by quite smoothly. Well, except for the small kitchen fire, Jane's tripping over a chair, Neil's cutting his hand (which Jane had to bandage) with a knife, and Cassie bumping her elbow off the table about five times. Things took a turn for the worst when it came time to take Cassie to bed.

"How come you two don't share a room?" Cassie asked, whenever Neil had made himself comfortable on the couch. When they hesitated, she added, "All my other Uncles and Aunts share a room." 

Neil looked nervously at Jane who simply glared back at him. "We're not like your normal uncles and aunts."

"Well, I know you two aren't normal," she told them with a grin," but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Didn't you hear the conversation I had with the general?" he asked, trying to find a way out of this.

"You were talking to General Hein?" The truth was, she knew the answer to her question. She just found it amusing to watch them when they were uncomfortable.

Jane came up with something that would save them. "I'm making Uncle Neil sleep on the couch. Hasn't your mom ever done that to your dad?"

"All the time." Neil laughed at the idea of his brother's wife making his brother sleep on the couch. "Why are you mad at him?" Cassie asked. 

"Because," Jane's voice trailed off as she tried to come up with something without lying to her. Suddenly, it came to her. "Uncle Neil has taken pictures of me without my consolidation." It wasn't a lie. In fact, Jane had her proof in her pocket. 

Cassie gasped and Neil thought he was going to pass out. He should probably try to kill himself before Jane got a hold of him. Sometimes, he's rather face the phantoms. "What were you doing going through my stuff?" and at the same time "Is this true Uncle Neil?" 

"Well, that answers my question," Cassie said, looking up at Jane. 

Jane sniffed. "I thought we had a better relationship than that, Neil," she said placing a hand to the base of her throat. 

"Now look, you made her cry," Cassie proclaimed, turning on Neil.

"I'm not the bad guy here," he protested but he seemed like Cassie wasn't paying any attention to him.

"Give her a hug," Cassie ordered, pointing at Jane.

Jane stiffened. "I don't feel that badly." 

"No, he was wrong and he's going to give you a hug to start to make up for it."

Jane sighed. She had seen a display of Cassie's stubbornness earlier, and if she kept it up, they would be here quite a while. _Not that you wouldn't mind getting a hug from him, _the nagging part of her head told her. It always seemed to talk the most when the rest of her thoughts were on Neil. _Shut up, you're annoying,_ she told it. _That's because you know I'm right _it argued back.

There was no more time for mental argument because Neil had stood up and was walking towards her, looking quite scared. She would have punched him, but Cassie was standing there watching and she didn't want to set a bad example for such a young girl. Bad example? Beating up Neil was a good example. So instead of punching him, she whispered, "I'll kill you," as he pulled her into a quick embrace. 

Neil had to admit, the only reason he had gone over there was for the chance to hug Jane, however her brief, without it resulting in physical damage to his person. "That's better," Cassie said satisfied. "Now, Uncle Neil, because of what you did, you're going to be spending the night on the couch again. Come on, Aunt Jane," Cassie said, grabbing her hand and leading her into the bedroom. As Neil laid back down on the couch, he thanked whatever powers that might be for making sure his niece was there whenever Jane found out about the pictures. 


	3. It's Party Time!

This Christmas

by Destiny Lockheart

Chapter 3 - It's Party Time!

Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the Final Fantasy characters.... Beware of the possessed dishcloth.

Jane leaned down to whisper something in Cassie's ear. The young girl grinned up at her, then turned her attention back to Neil. 

&-&-&-&

Neil was roughly woken up whenever Cassie decided to sit down on his stomach. "Wake-up, sleepy-head," she told him cheerfully.

"Couldn't you have found a more gentle way to wake me up?" he moaned. 

"Nope," she told him with a grin. "Aunt Jane told me to get you up this way."

Neil sighed and watched carefully as Jane sat down on the edge of the couch. Her close proximity when he couldn't move was quite unnerving. "Can't you get her to move?" he pleaded with her. Not that he was expecting much of a response. "She's little, but," he winced, "she hurts."

"She's hurting you?" Neil was expecting some type of smart comment after that. What came next took him completely by surprise. Jane placed a hand tenderly on his cheek. "Would you like a kiss to make it better?"

"Ummmm..." Neil looked nervously around him. This had to be some sort of sick trick. Cassie was smiling at him and Jane was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. "Sure," he said, and closed his eyes to wait for the blow. But it never came. Instead, she actually kissed him! He was in complete shock now. He couldn't believe this was actually happening....

....Until he realized he was dreaming because he could hear Jane laughing a few feet away. He also noticed that he was having difficulty breathing. He groggily opened his eyes and found that Cassie had indeed tried to wake him up by sitting on him. He glanced over at Jane who was still laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked her. 

"You," she told him bluntly. "One of these days I'm going to have to record you sleeping."

Remembering his dream, he suddenly became very paranoid. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I have my reasons. You," and she pointed to Cassie, "make sure he doesn't open that door," she pointed to the bathroom, "while I'm in there."

"Yes, ma'm!" Cassie saluted her with a grin. Jane disappeared out of Neil's line of vision. After the door was safely closed, Cassie moved from her position on Neil's stomach to the couch next to him. 

He took several deep breaths, than sat up. "Thanks."

"I need to talk to you," she told him, a serious expression on her young face. "And you're not going to like it," she added after a few seconds pause. 

"'Bout what?" Neil asked calmly. She was little; her problems were probably no where's near as involved as his. 

"It's about Aunt Jane," she said. Okay, so she was going to talk to him about one of his major problems. This could not be good. "She and I were talking last night." This was most definitely not good. "I'm not going to yell at you 'cause of all the things you've done before because I know you're trying really hard to make up for it this Christmas but..." she let her voice trail off. Neil wondered where she was headed with this. 

Cassie really didn't want to lie to her Uncle Neil, and so far she had managed to get by twisting the truth a little bit. General Hein had asked her to help her out; she would just have to twist the truth around a little bit again. "She was really upset because you never asked her to be your date for General Hein's party." There, that should do it. Jane did tell her that Neil hadn't asked her to General Hein's party and she was upset last night.

"What?!" Neil asked, surprised. For a brief second he wondered if was dreaming again. Or if Cassie was playing some sort of trick on him. Which wasn't very likely. But the last time he had mentioned the word 'date' to Jane he wound up in the infirmary for the evening. 

"I'm serious," Cassie told him solemnly. "I think you should ask her today." She smiled at him. "Besides, it will be a lot more fun for all of us that way." 

He thought about it for a moment. It was worth a shot and Jane couldn't send him to the hospital in presence of his niece. After she left was a different story, but for right now, he would be safe. "Are you sure she said that?" he asked, still not quite believing it. 

"Something like that," Cassie said, looking around the room. 

"You better not be lying to me," he warned jokingly. 

"Would I lie?" She asked in mock-disbelief. "Especially to my favorite Uncle?"

He laughed. "I'm your only uncle. I guess I'm going to have to believe you. What d'ya say to me ordering breakfast?"

"Really?" she asked, wide-eyed. He nodded and she gave him a hug. "Thank you! There is a higher power out there!"

&-&-&-&

Twenty minutes later, breakfast had arrived and Jane still hadn't come out of the bathroom. "What is she doing in there?" Neil asked.

"Uncle Neil," Cassie said through a mouthful of food, "that's the third time you've said that. Give up already." She bit into a muffin. "Real food; I'm in heaven."

Neil pouted. "Just make sure you save some for Jane." She nodded, but Neil wasn't so sure she heard him. Thankfully, Jane come out of the bathroom just then. "Exactly what were you doing in there?"

"None of your business." She sat down next to Cassie and eyes the food carefully. "Did your uncle make this?" Cassie shook her head no. 'Thank God," Jane said, reaching for some food. "No worries about getting sick later." Cassie nodded in agreement. 

"Will you two knock it off," Neil protested. "My cooking is not that bad. Sure, it's not perfected but it's never made me sick before." 

They both rolled their eyes. "You've been eating it so long you're immune to it by now," Jane told him.

"This stuff is really good," Cassie said. Neil exited into his bathroom. "What's his problem?"

Jane shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like us making fun of his cooking?" Cassie shrugged and resumed eating.

After she was full, she leaned back in her chair. "Aunt Jane, can I talk to you about something?"

Jane moved from her chair to the couch. Cassie went and sat down next to her. "About what?"

"Uncle Neil," Cassie confessed. Jane groaned and rolled her eyes. "He wants you to be his date to General Hein's party tonight, but he's too afraid to ask you."

_As he should be, _Jane thought.

"So, if asks you, will you accept? I know he's played a lot of mean tricks on you in the past, but he's really trying to make up for it this Christmas."

"I'm not making any promises. It all depends on how he treats me between now and then." Jane knew Neil would treat her the way he normally did, which wouldn't get him a date anywhere, so she wasn't worried too much. 

&-&-&-&

Thirty minutes later, Jane was doing dishes and Neil was still in the bathroom. "What the hell is he doing in there? And why am I doing his dishes?" she asked, throwing down the dish rag. She started mumbling about doing Neil's chores and taking care of his kids. 

"Aunt Jane!" Cassie scolded. "You really shouldn't talk like that!"

Jane looked up at her. "Sorry, he just annoys me sometimes." She then returned to her mumbling and, surprisingly enough, doing his dishes. 

Cassie shook her head. She would never understand grown ups. She went back to reading her book but looked up upon Neil's entering the room. "Hey, Uncle Neil."

"Hey." Neil nodded at her. He looked over at Jane, surprised to see her doing housework. "Jane, are you doing my dishes?"

Jane stared at the dishcloth and, disgusted, threw it across the room. "Ugh! Keep that filthy thing away from me!" 

Cassie and Neil both tried their best not to laugh. "Aunt Jane, are you okay?" Cassie asked. 

"That thing is possessed," she told them, pointing to the dishcloth which was now resting against the wall. Neil started laughing which only succeeded in making Jane angry. "Do you think this is funny, Neil?" She glared at him and folded her arms across his chest. 

Neil stopped laughing long enough to answer. "Jane, it's just an ordinary dish rag." 

"No it's not," Jane protested. "It's been trying to fill my head with ideas."

Cassie grinned. "What kind of ideas, Aunt Jane?" she asked sweetly.

Jane mumbled her answer, hoping Neil wouldn't hear her clearly. No such luck. "Let me get this straight," Neil said, trying hard not to laugh, "the dishcloth has been filling your head with ideas of doing my housework, taking care of my kids," he started walking towards her, "and did I hear the word 'married' in there?" He stopped and Cassie started chuckling. "You're right, Jane, that dishcloth is the devil. It's showing you a future of being my housewife." Cassie was laughing uncontrollably now. "That's the worst sin ever," he said in mock horror.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" she asked as he picked the rag in question up. 

"Jane, it's a simple piece of material." He held it up for her to see then threw it back into his sink. "If anybody's been putting those ideas in your head, it's you." He sat down on the couch next to the still laughing Cassie. 

"Evil dishcloth.... Jane, Neil's housewife.... just wait until I tell everyone about this," she muttered in between laughing fits. 

Neil shook his head. "Evil dishcloth. And she says _I _come up with crazy ideas." 

Jane stared at the laughing pair on the couch and scowled. "You two think this is funny?" 

"Just a little," Cassie admitted, wiping tears from her eyes. 

"By the way, Jane, I have something to ask you," Neil said. 

Jane sat down on the other side of Cassie who instantly stood up. "Not yet, Uncle Neil. You might want to do something first." 

Jane and Neil watched in amusement as Cassie went over to Neil's small tree and pulled a package from beside it. It was something Neil didn't recognize. Cassie carried it over to them and handed it to Neil. "What's this?" he asked, inspecting it. 

"That's your special present to Aunt Jane, remember?" Cassie said, pointing to the tag. "I think you should give it to her now. You know, since you were laughing at her." 

Neil held out the present to Jane. "I give you my profound apologies and hope you accept them with this gift." She took it form him and he added under his breath, "Even if I have no clue as to what it is."

Jane apparently didn't hear him but Cassie stomped on his foot. "Should I trust this?" Jane asked, tapping the box.

Cassie shrugged. "He didn't tell me what it was so open it already."

Jane started peeling off the wrapping paper as Neil watched on nervously. He didn't remember getting anything that size. He was anxious to remember what it was. The box gave him no hint either, only that it was some form of jewelry. How could he have afforded jewelry of any type? He would find out soon enough because she was opening the box. 

Cassie smiled at Jane's expression as she revealed the contents of the present. She still didn't know what it was, but apparently it had done the trick. Grandpa did good. "Neil, I'm touched. You actually remembered," Jane said, taking it out of the box. It was a crystal unicorn charm on a silver chain. She unclasped it and put it on. "How did you afford this?" she asked. 

Neil shrugged. "I have no idea," he admitted. In fact, he was currently racking his brain trying to remember how and when he bought it. 

"Thank you," she said, completely surprising them both by giving him a hug. 

"Your welcome, I think," Neil said, still trying to figure out the mystery. Cassie cleared her throat, bringing Neil back to reality. "Ummm, Jane, would you be my date for General Hein's party?" he asked, quite nervously. 

Jane looked at Neil, then over at Cassie who wore a great big smile. "Sure, why not? I only have my reputation to lose."

There were a few moments of Cassie cheering. "That sure made her happy," Neil said after she had quieted down. "One question, Jane. Why did you want that necklace in the first place?"

"Unicorns bring good luck," she told him with a sly grin. "But I think it needs to be warmed up."

"What makes you say that?" he asked absent-mindedly, thinking about what kind of luck it would bring him. 

"You're still here." Cassie went off into laughing fits again, this time at Neil's expense. 

"That's nice," he replied, causing Cassie to laugh even harder. 

"Aunt Jane," Cassie said after she got her laughing back under control, "since Uncle Neil's out of it, can I go visit the Serge for a bit? He said I could."

"Go ahead," Jane told her, not really thinking much of it. Cassie grinned and went running out the door. 

&-&-&-&

A few minutes later, she was knocking on Sergeant Ryan's door. More like pounding, actually. He eventually opened the door and was surprised to see her there. "Cassie, what are you doing here?" 

"Spreading tales about my uncle and aunt," she said, pushing her way inside. Gray was sitting on the couch. "Good morning, mon capitan." She saluted then sat down next to him. 

Ryan closed the door and proceeded to sit down on a chair across from them. "How did you find my apartment?"

Cassie pretended to look shocked. "You mean you don't remember? You told me yesterday and said I could come over whenever I wanted to." 

"Oh." There was a few seconds of silence as Ryan thought back to last night. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did!" Cassie protested. She couldn't be found out now. She only had a few more hours left to go and then she would tell them everything. 

"It doesn't matter," Gray interjected, stopping them before things got ugly. "What are you doing here?"

Cassie smiled. "Just doing my part by telling people stories about Jane and Neil. I got a real good one about a possessed dishcloth filling Aunt Jane's head with ideas of marrying Uncle Neil." 

Gray grinned. "Tell me more about this possessed dishcloth." So, Cassie began to tell them all about the possessed dishcloth. 

&-&-&-&

"Where's Cassie?" Neil asked, suddenly coming out of his daydream. 

"I think she said something about going to visit the Sergeant," Jane replied, obviously deep in thought. 

"She's probably telling him about the possessed dishcloth," Neil informed her. Jane went running out the door. "Hey, wait for me!" he called after her, making sure to lock his door behind them. 

&-&-&-&

"I think those two are starting to lose it," Cassie admitted to Ryan and Gray. She watched on in amusement as they both tried hard not to laugh. 

"I think I need to get that dishcloth and send it to my girlfriend," Gray said, just as Jane and Neil came running into the room. 

Jane stopped right inside the door, and Neil, not expecting it, ran into her. She slapped him. "Watch where you're going."

Cassie smiled innocently up at them. "Hi, Uncle Neil, Aunt Jane." 

Jane turned her attention to Gray and Ryan. "How much has she told you?"

"Not much," Gray said, trying hard not to laugh. "Should you really be treating your future husband like that?" he asked, pointing to Neil who was currently rubbing the spot where Jane had slapped him. 

"Cassie, I can't believe you told them about that."

Cassie shrugged. "Why not? They already know you're both crazy." 

Gray laughed. "I think the whole world knows that. Neil, you're in charge of driving us to General Hein's party later."

"Is that really such a good idea?" Cassie asked. She was absolutely petrified of getting in a car with her Uncle Neil behind the wheel.

"Don't worry. You can sit in the back with me and the Serge," Gray reassured her. 

"Where's that leave me?" Jane asked.

"You have two options," Gray told her. "A: You can sit in the passenger's seat or B: You can sit in Neil's lap." Neil blushed.

"I think I'll take choice A." A pause then she added under her breath, "Even though it's the most dangerous spot to be."

"Okay, now that that's settled, we'll see you three at six thirty." Ryan pushed them out the door. "Bye."

"Bye!" Cassie called over her shoulder.

&-&-&-&

At exactly six forty-five that evening.....

Ryan and Gray were sitting in the backseat of the jeep and Neil was sitting in the driver's seat. "What is taking them so long?" Gray asked for about the fifth time. "Neil, what are they doing?"

"I told you sir, I don't know. I told them we were leaving soon."

"And what did they say?" Gray asked, placing a hand on the back of the seat and leaning forward. "You never told me that part." 

Neil rolled his eyes. "If I remember correctly, Jane told me to kiss her ass and that they'd be down in a few minutes."

"You let her talk like that in front of your niece?" Ryan asked curiously.

"Listen, have you ever been in a fight with her before?" Gray and Ryan both shook their heads no. They had always gone out of there way to avoid that. "Well, I have and let me tell you, it's no picnic. The woman is inhumanly strong."

Gray noticed Jane and Cassie come out of the front door of the apartment building. "One of the reasons, why you're so attracted to her, right, Neil?" 

"Yeah, that's one reason. Why are you so interested in my relationship with Jane all of a sudden?" he asked, starting to turn around. He stopped when he caught sight of Jane. She was wearing a denim skirt, a black shirt, the necklace he "bought" her for Christmas, and had her hair down for the occasion. "Whoa." He then noticed the look she was giving him and cowered back. "Note to self: When niece leaves, you're a dead man."

"Damn straight," Jane said, helping Cassie into the back of the jeep. 

Cassie instantly made herself comfortable between Ryan and Gray. "You two will protect me from any harm, right?" she asked, as Jane got in.

"Of course. Seatbelts everyone," Gray ordered. They all obliged. 

"Neil, do me a favor. Don't kill us all," Jane told him.

"Great. First my cooking, then my driving. What's next? My performance in-" 

"Shut up and drive," Jane told him sternly. 

"Thank you," Gray, Ryan and Cassie all said in unison. 

As he was driving, Neil couldn't help but look over at Jane every so often. Okay, so he spent more time looking at her than at the road but he couldn't help it. In his opinion, she was simply beautiful. And currently, she wasn't paying any attention to him so he could stare all he wanted. A quick smack to the back of the head brought him back to the reality he was driving just in time for him to avoid hitting another car. 

"What was that all about?" Jane asked. 

"Hey, Uncle Neil," Cassie called from the back seat. "Do you mind keeping your eye on the road instead of Aunt Jane?"

"Yeah, definitely a dead man," Neil muttered, missing Jane's smile. However, Cassie didn't and she grinned. Tonight was her night to shine. 

&-&-&-&

Major Elliot stood talking with General Hein in the middle of the slightly over-crowded room. "Sir, what if they don't show up?"

"Don't worry, Major. I have confidence Cassie won't fail me," General Hein said placing his hands behind his back. "My plan is perfect; there's absolutely not one flaw to it."

Major Elliot cleared his throat nervously. "Sir, I'm still having trouble picturing you playing Cupid."

"Nonsense, Major. I had a wife at one point." He paused, forcing back the memories. "Besides, it was either this or causing a section of the barrier to fail." Elliot nearly choked. Was the General really thinking about doing that? He preferred this method. "Here they are now. Major, go fetch Cassie for me."

Major Elliot gulped and went off to greet the new arrivals.

"It sure is crowded in here," Gray muttered as they entered the building. "All right people, make sure you keep at least one other member of our squad in sight at all times."

They all looked at him strangely. "Captain, may I ask why?"

Gray looked nervously around the room. "In case we have to make a quick get away."

Before any of them could ask why, Major Elliot approached them. "Ah, I see the lovely couple has arrived," he said gesturing to Jane and Neil. He cringed. Why couldn't the general have picked someone else for this task?

"Sir, we're not-"

"The general wishes to speak to your niece." Elliot grabbed Cassie's hand and started walking off before they could protest. 

"Cassie, make sure you stay within sight of a superior officer at all times," Neil called after her.

&-&-&-&

"Major Elliot, why are you always so tense?" Cassie asked as he led her through the crowd. 

"Because I serve under a psychotic general," he muttered under his breath as he pushed a cadet out of his way.

"What about General Hein?" Cassie asked.

"He's right here," he said, giving her a gentle push in General Hein's direction. 

"Your Major's got some serious issues he has to deal with," she told him. 

"I know," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Cassie, you're going to be a star tonight."

&-&-&-&

"She's been gone a long time," Jane told Neil as she leaned back against the wall, surveying the crowd. "What could they possibly be doing?"

Neil shrugged. "She's probably telling people about the possessed dishcloth."

"You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"Not in this lifetime," he told her with a grin. "And probably not the next."

Out of nowhere, Cassie came running up to them. "Uncle Neil, some guy wants to talk to you about some money you owe him."

Neil looked nervous. "Which way his he?" Cassie pointed in the direction she had just come from. "Then I'm going this way," Neil said, dashing off in the opposite direction. 

Cassie watched him run off then smiled up at Jane. "Okay, Cassie, what are you up to?"

Cassie put her hands behind her back and started walking backwards. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

"Don't play innocent with me," Jane warned, following her. "You've been up to something since the day you got here."

"No I haven't," she lied. She turned and went running into the crowd. 

Jane watched her leave then walked off in another direction. "I'll find out what you're doing soon enough."

&-&-&-&

Cassie breathed a sigh of relief as she found General Hein, standing aloof from the rest of the crowd. "Sir, I think I'm going to use the plan now." She paused to catch her breath. "Aunt Jane is starting to get su-su-"

"Suspicious?" General Hein offered. 

Cassie nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

General Hein grew deep in thought. If they didn't work swiftly, the whole plan would go down the drain. "Cassie, be a good girl and fetch Captain Edwards." She nodded and went running off to find him.

&-&-&-&

Neil had been talking to some of his tech buddies when Cassie came running up to him and tugged gently at his left hand. "Uncle Neil, Aunt wants to talk to you." 

"Hey, Neil, how come you never told us you were married?" one of the guys asked. 

Neil sighed and held up his left hand. "Because I'm not. Do you see a ring anywhere?"

"Actually, yeah," another guy said, pointing to Neil's hand. Neil looked in shock at his hand where there was a ring. "Dude, who's the lucky lady?"

"Her name's Jane," Cassie offered, trying to pull Neil away. 

"Whoa," the first guy said, "Jane Proudfoot? I never should have made that bet with my captain." 

"What bet?" Neil asked curiously.

"Never mind," Cassie said, "Aunt Jane wants to talk to you now." She began pushing him away from the other guys. 

"But I wanna know what they're talking about," he whined.

&-&-&-&

Gray's eyes darted around as he searched for Jane. Of all the people involved in this, why did the General have to send him for this task. "Jane," he said nervously as he approached her. Wait a sec, why was he nervous? He was her commanding officer. "Neil wants to talk to you."

"Can't. Currently searching for his treacherous niece." 

Gray gulped. This definitely wasn't going as planned. He had to think of something quick. "That's what he wants to talk to you about. He also said something about you two getting married."

Gray watched as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh really?" He nodded. "Where is the little twerp?"  
Gray pointed and Jane set off in search of Neil.

&-&-&-&

"Stand here and wait," Cassie told her uncle as she deposited him in the center of the room. She looked around in search of Jane. She saw her, walking towards them at a very fast pace. "Uncle Neil, I think she's upset about something."

"What else is new?" He looked at his hand and noticed the ring was now missing. "I think I'm losing it." 

"Everyone here knew that," Jane said as she stopped in front of him. 

"I wasn't talking to you," he retorted. "I was talking to Cassie." 

Jane looked around them. "You really are losing it. I haven't seen your evil niece for a while."

Neil looked confused and searched for her. "But she was just here a minute ago."

"Neil, we need to talk about your niece." A shrill whistling sound cut through the air. 

&-&-&-&

"Major, what the hell is that?" Hein asked, covering his ears. 

Major Elliot looked in the direction of the sound along with everybody else in the room. "It's Cassie, sir."

"Well she certainly is the attention grabber, isn't she?" Major Elliot pretended he didn't hear him.

&-&-&-&

Neil and Jane uncovered their ears as the noise stopped. "Cassie, I'm going to kill you," Jane threatened. 

"What?" Cassie rubbed an ear. "I can't hear a thing," she mumbled. 

"What did you do that for?" Neil asked, covering an ear. "I think I'm deaf in this ear."

"Such a shame."

Cassie appeared thoughtful for a few moments. "Oh yeah, you two were so deep in conversation I thought I should point a few things out to you."

"Like what?" they asked at the same time. Jane hit Neil with the back of her hand. "Knock that off."

"One, everyone is now staring at us, thanks to my whistle. I would also like to point out that you two are standing underneath the mistletoe." She pointed upwards.

They both looked up. Jane turned and tried to leave but Cassie had been expecting that and somehow managed to cut her off. "Oh, no. You're not going anywheres. Besides, it's tradition," she said, turning Jane around and pushing her back the way she came.

"Your niece is extremely evil," Jane told Neil.

"I don't know," he said with a grin, "I kinda like her."

"You would."

"Come on, Jane," he said coming closer to her. "You heard what the girl said. It's tradition."

Cassie pulled her camera out and held it behind her back. "I hate both of you," Jane said, right before Neil kissed her. Cassie quickly brought her camera out in front of her and took a picture. Jane pulled away from Neil the instant the flash went off. "That was the last straw, Cassie." Cassie grinned and went running off in General Hein's direction. "Get back here!" Jane ordered, taking off after her. 

Neil just stood there grinning like an idiot until somebody said, "Dude, she's gonna kill the little girl." He did a quick reality check and went running off after them.

&-&-&-&

Cassie weaved her way through the crowd, trying to locate General Hein before Jane caught up with her. She looked over her shoulder. No sign of her aunt and General Hein was only a few feet away. She gave the camera to him. "Here you go, sir."

General Hein looked at the stored photo. "Thank you, excellent job. Tell your uncle and aunt I wish to speak with them before they leave tonight." 

"Yes, sir!" She saluted and went dashing off. 

"Major, bring me the soldiers who were foolish enough to take my bet."

Elliot saluted and went off in search of those poor unfortunate souls in question. 

&-&-&-&

Cassie inadvertently went running into Jane, quite literally. "I stop looking for my prey and it runs into me." Cassie gulped as Jane pinned her arms to her sides. "I knew you were up to no good."

"All a bit of harmless fun," she pleaded. 

"Really?" Jane asked, tightening her grip. "Who says it's harmless?"

"Ack! Can't... breath!" she gasped. 

Neil thankfully chose that moment to find them. "Jane, please don't kill me niece. My brother will destroy the entire city."

Jane dropped Cassie on the ground. "Thanks, Uncle Neil," she gasped. "General Hein wants to talk to you two before you leave."

Neil groaned. Jane asked, "About what?"

Cassie shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not a mind reader. Prolly has something to do with that picture though."

&-&-&-&

General Hein looked at the crowd that had gathered around him. All were shuffling their feet nervously. He hadn't realized until now how many idiots had joined the USMF. "I believe you all owe me some money," he said while glaring. They all began digging in their pockets. "Forget it," he said and they all looked up in surprise. "I don't know what I would do with all that money. I just hope you all learned your lesson."

They looked at each other and began mumbling. Somebody could faintly be heard asking, "We were supposed to learn something from this?"

"Get out of my sight!" General Hein growled. The frightened soldiers went running in all directions. "What a waste of time and money," he mumbled. "Next time I'll just cause a barrier failure."

&-&-&-&

Ryan watched the frightened soldiers exit the building. "Sir, why are they all running so fast?"

Gray watched them leave. "They are those who took General Hein's bet." 

"Damn, I'm glad I retracted that," he said, shaking his head. "You think those three will be ready to leave soon?" he asked, indicating Jane, Neil and Cassie. 

"Give them a few more minutes."

&-&-&-&

"Here he comes to save the day," Cassie mumbled as she spotted General Hein walking towards them. Neil gulped and stood behind Cassie. 

"You're so brave," Jane told him sarcastically, "hiding behind a little girl."

The three of them saluted General Hein. Cassie smiled up at him. "That was quite a show you three put on tonight. Your niece will make quite a secret agent someday. I figure ten years from now she'll be working for me." He handed her the developed photo. "You may want to hold on to that for the time being. Oh, and Fleming?"

"Yes, sir?" 

"You owe me five hundred dollars," he said as he began walking away. 

Neil was shocked. "For what, sir?"

General Hein turned and glared at him. "Are you questioning a superior officer?"

"No, sir," Neil replied meekly. 

"Good." General Hein walked away. 

"Stupid general," Neil mumbled, "saying I owe him money for absolutely no reason whatsoever."

&-&-&-&

Cassie plopped herself down on Neil's couch. "That was an interesting night."

"Interesting?" Jane said, sitting down next to her. "More like the worst night of my life."

"Aww, come on, you know you enjoyed kissing Uncle Neil," Cassie told her with a grin. "You were smiling and I got the proof right here." She brought out the picture which was instantly confiscated by Neil. "Hey, Uncle Neil, give that back!"

He studied it for a few moments. "She's right you are smiling. I think I'm adding this to my collection." 

"Can I confess everything yet?" Cassie asked. "Before Aunt Jane kills you?"

"Go 'head."

"Kay, see everything was a whole plot planned by General Hein to teach some of his soldiers a lesson. So, he started making bets with people. I think you figured out what the bet was." They both nodded. "My job was to set the stage with you two. You know, make you spend some time together, getting ready for a little romance. General Hein came up with the pictures, made sure it snowed in the park, bought the necklace, and told me to call you," she pointed to Jane, "Aunt Jane."

"That explains a lot." 

She sighed. "Can I go home yet? You two scare me." 


	4. Epiloque

This Christmas

Epilogue

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say this? I don't own Jane and Neil or any of the other Final Fantasy characters.

AN: It's finally finished! Rejoice and be merry! *sees Jane celebrating in the corner* What do you think you're doing?

Jane: You're finally done with this. Now I can relax. 

A: No such luck for you I'm afraid. I got lots more story ideas. And Valentine's Day is coming up real soon. *Jane turns and starts running away* I don't think so! NeilF! Cassie! Sic her! 

&-&-&-&

Cassie stood outside the military complex with her Uncle Neil and Aunt Jane. "Cassie, when are your parents coming?" 

"I talked to them last night and they said they'd be here at noon." She frowned. "But they're not here yet."

"I can see that," Neil muttered. His coat had to be taken to a professional cleaner because of the trick Cassie and Jane had played on him that morning. Now he was freezing. 

"Cassie, before you leave, there's something I've been wondering about." 

"Yes, Aunt Jane?" she asked, turning around to face her.

"How old are you?"

"I'm ten," she said proudly. 

"What?" Neil and Jane asked at the same time.

"I just lost about four years of my life," Neil said. 

"Uncle Neil," Cassie scolded, "how could you not know how old I am?"

"Aren't you a little short?" Jane asked. "You look like you're younger."

"Everyone makes that mistake," Cassie admitted. She turned on Neil. "You, however, have no excuse."

"I'm sorry," Neil said, hiding behind Jane. Cassie gave her a 'you-take-care-of-him' look. Jane elbowed him in the stomach. "Oww. What was that for?"

"Just looking out for my little buddy."

"Thank you," Cassie said as a car pulled up. "My mommy and dad are here!"

Neil's brother got out of the driver's side of the car. He picked Cassie up and kissed her on the cheek. "There's my little lady. Did you have a good time with your Uncle Neil?"

"Yeah, can I come visit him and Aunt Jane again soon?"

"Aunt Jane?" he asked, looking over in Neil's direction. "I didn't know he was married." He shrugged. "Let's go home."

"Bye, Uncle Neil, Aunt Jane!" Cassie called as she got in the back seat of the car. Neil's brother got back in the car and drove off. 

"I think they just wanted to get rid of her for a few days," Jane said as she watched them drive off. 

"Probably," Neil agreed. "Shall we return home, my lady?"

"I'm not your lady," Jane said as they walked away.

"Whatever you say," Neil said, putting an arm around her shoulders and dropping snow down the back of her shirt, "darling." He went running off down the road. 

"Neil, I'm going to kill you!" she threatened, chasing after him. 

When she finally got up with him, she didn't kill him. Merely pelted him with snowballs until he surrendered. "One good thing came from Cassie's visit."

"What's that?"

"I feel we've gotten a lot closer."

"Maybe in your dreams," she told him.

Neil smiled, remembering a particularly good dream he had last night involving her. "If only you knew." 


End file.
